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What’s cute? Bambi visiting the backyard! What’s not so cute? Bambi chomping the heads off the spring flowers you just planted and devouring your perennials and shrubs. You can apply deer repellent to your plants, but they don’t work all the time and you have to reapply it after it rains. Sometimes deer get used to the taste and keep chowing down anyway. Opting for deer-resistant plants is an easier and more foolproof way to make sure your garden doesn’t get eaten up.
Deer definitely have favorite foods, such as arborvitae, hostas, daylilies, and azaleas. But the truth is they’ll eat almost anything in your garden if they’re hungry enough—and just like humans, they’ll try anything once, according to Dimitri Gatanas, owner of Urban Garden Center in New York. In general, they don’t like plants that are highly fragrant, fuzzy, or have an otherwise unpleasant texture. “The best way to keep deer from eating your plants is to create a sort of barrier around your favorable plants with a variety that may not like as much,” Gatanas explains. “For example, I have my hydrangeas planted behind a border of low boxwoods.” He also recommends blocking deer out as much as you can, either with spiky varieties like barberry or holly bushes or with a thick row of arborvitae. Deer fencing is okay, Gatanas says, and it definitely works, but it’s not his personal preference because it distracts from the beautiful garden you’ve spent so much time on.
Before you do a victory dance, it’s also important to note that while many plants are deer resistant—which means deer are less likely to eat them—there’s no such thing as a deerproof plant. If you have enough deer in your neighborhood, they’ve established common pathways through your property, and if it’s been a particularly rough winter, you’re probably going to have some damage from these visitors. It’s just nature! So do your best to plant deer-resistant types of plants and protect your favorites with a natural barrier. Then try repellent as an additional measure, and hope for the best. Ahead, we’ve listed the best landscape plants to give your garden a fighting chance against deer and other uninvited guests.
For more spring gardening advice:
- The Best Full-Sun-Loving Plants
- The Best Rock Garden Ideas
- The Best Raised Garden Bed Ideas
Additional copy by Arricca Elin-Sansone.
1
Pampas Grass
Ideal for adding both privacy and height to your garden, pampas grass won’t get gobbled up by pesky deer this spring and summer. It looks great as it dries out and dies when the weather gets cold—just be sure to cut the dead stalks ahead of every new growing season.
Related: The Best Ornamental Grasses to Add to Your Garden
2
Garden Sage
Like many fragrant herbs, sage is a plant deer won’t go near. That makes it a great addition to any garden or vegetable patch. We recommend planting sage near other plants that deer love to try and deter them.
Related: The Best Indoor Herb Gardens to Try
3
Forget-Me-Not
Dainty and sweet, forget-me-not flowers introduce a bold hue to your flower beds. In addition to being one of the only true blue flowers, these plants are among the first to bloom each spring, giving your garden some new life after the winter. Luckily, deer don’t like the taste of the foliage, so they tend to leave these alone.
Related: 25 Flower Bed Ideas That Are Bursting With Color
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4
Buttercups
Despite their alluring name, deer can’t stand buttercups. These are a great wildflower for natural and rewilding landscape ideas. Plant them in the fall for a gorgeous yellow wash come spring.
5
Thyme
Homegrown herbs are one of the easiest ways to upgrade your cooking, but deer are often attracted to edible plants. However, fragrant thyme is an exception. Plant it in and around your vegetable patches to deter curious critters.
6
Larkspur
Highly poisonous to all creatures, including humans, these flowers will keep deer far away from your beloved garden. Available in both light and dark hues ranging from sky blue to rich purple, plant larkspur in groups for an eye-catching landscape.
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Meadow Rue
Tall and striking, meadow rue plants are a part of the buttercup family, so deer won’t snack on them either. These plants are great if your garden is in need of some height—plus, they offer a sweet, buttery yellow hue.
8
Monkshood
Also known as aconite or wolfsbane, monkshood is a highly toxic and poisonous plant to all humans and animals. What it lacks in friendliness, it makes up for with its vibrant purple coloring. Because it’s so harmful to animals, it should be used sparingly.
9
Blue Fescue
A beautiful ornamental grass, blue fescue is great for adding depth and visual interest to your ground cover. Its silvery blue fronds thrive best in full sun.
Related Story: The Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Garden
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10
American Holly
Often associated with Christmastime, holly bushes are evergreens with striking red berries (they’re harmful for humans, so don’t eat them) all winter long. The spiky leaves deter deer, which makes them ideal for landscaping and outdoor holiday decorating.
11
Anise
This flowering plant produces the captivating spice star anise. Anise flowers are small and quaint with bulbous heads, and they’re great for breaking up groups of larger flowers. Because of their spicy taste, deer don’t like snacking on them.
12
Bleeding Heart
This adorable perennial is not a favorite of deer, so it's a great option for your shade garden. Its heart-shaped blooms appear in early to late spring.
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13
Potentilla
This shrub has a somewhat fuzzy texture that usually doesn't appeal to deer. It comes in white-, pink-, or yellow-flowered varieties and blooms all season long.
14
Catmint
This sturdy perennial has silvery-green leaves with a somewhat fuzzy texture. It also has a pungent spicy-minty fragrance that makes most deer avoid it.
15
Boxwood
These evergreen shrubs make great foundation plantings, and they're not particularly appealing to deer. You can leave them natural or shear them into shape.
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Daphne
Daphne is a beautiful evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves that bloom lovely, fragrant pink flowers from mid-winter to late spring. Its strong scent and toxic berries tend to keep deer away.
17
Dusty Miller
This attractive silvery annual makes a stunning accent for containers or beds. Deer don't enjoy its velvety texture.
18
Japanese Forest Grass
This mounding ornamental grass looks amazing when planted in groups—and deer aren't fans of its sharp texture.
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Hellebore
Hellebore, or Lenten rose, is an outstanding perennial for a part-shade garden. With waxy, evergreen foliage and exquisite blooms during late winter into early spring (around the time of Lent), this is a must-have for any garden that deer visit.
20
Allium
Alliums, or ornamental onions, have pretty, round flowers atop long stems in late spring. (Plant the bulbs in fall for spring flowers.) Their onion-y scent keeps deer at bay.
